Moody Ales Craft Brewery

Snapping close at the heels of Yellow Dog Brewery, Moody Ales made a triumphant entry into the expanding world of Port Moody’s fledgling craft beer industry this fall. Opening day saw a packed tasting room, food trucks and much merriment in friendly competition with its nearest rival.

The new location for ale lovers is situated just a block or so further west along Murray Street past the Murray –Clarke connector, where Moody Ales joins community stalwarts, Pacific Coast Terminals, Straight Up clay studio and the Flavelle sawmill in the ‘hood. Although tucked away, co-owner Adam Crandall noted that the spot does capture a lot of through-traffic commuting under the bridge each day, and this has been great for advertising.

Boasting a larger tasting room and brewing space, Moody Ales has a comfortable bar area with extremely knowledge serving staff. A stunning black-and-white mural on the wall of the tasting room/brewery outlines the four steps of brewing (with step five as drinking the beer … if customers are in any doubt). Once inside, check out the expansive menu above the bar for what’s currently on tap and what’s coming soon. Tasters are available in individual 3oz shots as well as the full flight of four, for those who like to sip daintily.

As with other craft breweries, the take-home culture is alive and kicking its way out of the door. Moody Ales sells (and fills) the usual bottle sizes (32oz, 64oz) as well as offering an interesting stainless steel insulated growler. They will service bottles from other breweries, but you’ll want to add their cool labeling, fittingly artistic for City of the Arts, to your collection. In addition to bottles, cans are on the way too, just in time for packing some Christmas cheer into your fridge or stocking.

Alongside the perennial favourites including a brown ale that took me right back to country pub meals in the north of England, Moody Ales also serves a smooth European Blonde and a chocolate oatmeal stout (Belgian chocolate at first sip, developing nicely into a sharp Guinness thereafter … oh be still, my aching Celtic heart). Three new beers are scheduled for Christmas, though exact timings are not available.

“It’s an organic living process,” explains James, who runs the tasting room, pointing out that each beer is sampled individually and released exactly when ready for drinking. There’s no compromising taste by hurrying it along. This applies particularly to a batch described intriguingly as a Russian Imperial Stout. This rich alcoholic (11%) beer needs individual care and attention during its long conditioning spell in Jack Daniels casks, and probably won’t hit the tasting room until the New Year.

Moody Ales tries to focus on Canadian-made in the brewing process. From the Summerland BC brewing equipment to the basic ingredients from Armstrong BC, only a few specialty items like the hops and malts from Europe for specific brews and a reclaimed dairy vessel upcycled into a mash tun from the US are bought in.

Moody Ales also has a close association with our local food trucks – keep an eye on their Facebook page for up-to-the-minute confirmation of who, when and where. Food and the science of food –pairing plays a large part in development of new beers. The owners are keen to emphasise the educational aspect of craft beers, aiming to knock wine off the top spot as go-to bottle for a meal with friends.

“Food is an important part of brewing the beers,” says Adam, mentioning how he and co-owner, Dan Helmer approach the brewing recipes they’ve been working on for over a year now.

What’s new for Christmas in addition to the branded swag (toques, caps and clothing suitable for the fussiest beer fan in your life)? Well, although a kitchen is not on the list for future development, I’m happy to confirm there’s now a patio open for your drinking pleasure. During our tour through the brewing area, Adam pointed out that the seating area out front is now licensed for picnics. The addition of the patio seating and picnic licence continues the food-beer vibe. It also means that the brewery is extremely family friendly, with soft drinks available for the minors – a great place for kids to learn about drinking responsibly.

“It catches a good amount of sun during the day,” he says, admitting that the front patio was a preferred spot for relaxing during the summer’s four-month building and renovation process. So bring your food, sup the beer, and savour the winter sun as you snuggle down under one of the blankets thoughtfully provided. An excellent place to wait out the winter in my opinion.